August 11, 2008

Sunset on the Beach 2008

Sunset on the Beach has come to the Waianae Coast again. It’s a festival of family fun, food, entertainment and community services. It all came together at Maile Beach Park on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Sunset on the Beach is a fund-raiser for Valley of Rainbows, a wonderful organization that benefits out local keiki (kids.) They’ve brought together a wonderland of rides and attractions for the keiki, foods, crafts, entertainment and community services. I wandered the midway and tents for a couple of hours. I bought tee shirts and made contributions to support the Valley of Rainbows and Life Foundation (education and support organization focusing on HIV/AIDS in Hawaii and the Pacific,) talked with health, community support, children and family services, alternative transportation and housing services representatives and marveled at how many family and keiki support groups are available right here on our coast. I collected so much swag that the handles of my goodie bag were cutting into my hand before the day was over.

Two stages provided continuous entertainment, from local musicians and dancers to keiki watermelon-eating and pie-eating contests. Excess watermelon was loaded on platters and passed out to the crowd and to workers in the community services tent. The aroma of smoking meats lured me to the food booths, where all of the local favorites were being served up. Some booths offered free samples. I had to buy a bottle of Pelekunu’s grilling sauce/marinade after tasting several varieties, but ended up buying a catfish dinner from my pal Ceecee of Mom’s Soul Food for my take-home meal.

Much of the focus of Sunset on the Beach is on providing a good time for the keiki, but you don’t have to be a kid to enjoy the experience. The carnival atmosphere encouraged friendly attitudes and spirit of fun in everyone I met. I made a few new friends today and had a pleasant afternoon, even though I only stayed a few hours. Folks who stayed late were rewarded with a movie shortly after sunset (tonight it was The Bucket List.) The evening wrapped up with a fireworks show that was visible and resoundingly audible from my home as I sat down to start this post.

Technorati Tags: community celebrations, community services, family fun, festivals, Hawaii, Maile, photos, Sunset on the Beach, Waianae Coast

August 8, 2008

True Aloha

I love sharing stories about Hawaii with my readers. Many of you have come to count on the occasional slices of local life, photos and recipes that I dig up. Hey, I’m in Hawaii! What’s not to love? There are limitations on the way that share the aloha, though. I blog about events and people in my own backyard. I’m not too heavy into research, so I don’t have anything to say about the outer islands or festivals I haven’t been to or trails I haven’t hiked. That’s because skeet’s stuff isn’t about Hawaii. It’s all about me. If it doesn’t cross my path and I don’t happen upon it, you won’t find it here. Those of you who want a broader picture of my beautiful paradise just won’t find it amidst my clutter. You need to go to a Hawaii-centric blog for that. I recommend True Aloha for your steady diet of Hawaiiana. Anele is all about Hawaii, and she’s a lot more willing than I am to work at bringing together the big picture for you.

I talk about our ono grinds (delicious foods.) Anele wants you to know how to make them for yourself, so she features local foods every week in her Aloha Friday Recipe feature. Do you know what the local favorite dessert dish is? I’ve never thought to tell you, but Anele featured it recently. It’s called Haupia and it’s a coconut pudding that’s to die for! Check out Anele’s Haupia With Pineapple recipe. It’s quick and easy to make and oh, so ono! Follow her directions and you can serve it the next time you want to throw an authentic Hawaiian luau. Bento fans? Check out the cutest little Spam Musubi in the world in Anele’s Bento Musings!

I’ve been here for fourteen years and there are so many things I’ve never checked out yet. I haven’t gone hiking in years, despite some of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world being available to me. Many folks carry a GPS with them when they hike now, and that means lots of geocaching opportunites in Hawaii and anywhere else you care to hike. Anele keeps you up to date on Geochaching in Hawaii, so make sure you check her out before you plan your Hawaii vacation agenda. For the less athletic among you, she’ll point all of you armchair travelers to the best Hawaii programming on TV, with an up-to-date widget so you’ll never miss a thing. Whatever you want to know about Hawaii, it’s probably already on Anele’s blog. If it’s not, ask her! She’s the expert on travel and vacation planning and has done a great job of covering music, local events and pretty much everything else Hawaiian. Bookmark True Aloha, or, better yet, add it to your feeds. If you want to know all about me, you already know where to come. Now you know where to find True Aloha, too!

Technorati Tags: blog reviews, blogs, Hawaii blogs

August 6, 2008

No! No! No! Not again!

A few months ago we had a perfectly normal, everyday, paved street at the entrance to our community. A lot can change in a few months. The crews building the new homeless transition center are making amazing progress. An entire community of buildings has been erected and finish work is already in progress. They sit in a muddy lot with no streets, sidewalks or landscaping installed yet. Beautification and amenities will come later. Right now they seem to be concentrating on more basic stuff.

For the last two months there has been excavation work going on to facilitate the laying of underground water mains. The water mains are going beneath our street, where, I assume, they hook up with the existing mains that have been servicing our homes for the last thirty or so years. Our own mains were identified as needing to be replaced quite a while back, but I guess the City and County are waiting for funds to be available. The excavation and joining of new lines has not gone smoothly. I think it’s four times that our own fragile old mains have broken in the last two months, but who’s counting? Each time it happens we are without water until they plug the leak, pump out the water above it and then do a permanent repair.

The frothy white area at the upper right of the puddle is the outflow from a fire hose. The other end of the hose is attached to a pump sitting about eight feet below the surface in a hole on the other side of the excavation equipment. The two men near the center of the picture are standing next to that hole. The whole street is a hole, actually. You can see the outlines of a couple of steel plates on the lower margins of the puddle. You can’t see the other plates because they’re covered with mud or under water. You’ll have to take my word for it - almost the entrie area shown in the picture is covered with steel plates covering excavations. It’s very unnerving to drive through there. The plates clunk and thump, making you think there’s at least a slim chance that you may be getting ready to plummet, car and all, into a bottomless pit. The excavator is sitting on several steel plates, so I suppose they can support my little Saturn, but that doesn’t keep me from getting the willies every time I drive over them.

Folks who were home during the day today were without water for a while. I don’t know how long it was this time, but last week it was an entire day and into the night. Today they restored service about the time I got home. My pipes were full of air and made a terrible racket the first few times I opened a tap, but I didn’t need to lug buckets and jugs down to the water wagon parked up the street, so I’m happy. Well, until next time.

Technorati Tags: road work, utility installation, water main breaks, water mains

August 3, 2008

Waianae farmer’s market

I’ve been seeing the banners beside the highway since the first Waianae Farmer’s Market back in June, but didn’t get to it until yesterday. Here’s the thing about farmer’s markets: Farmers wake up early and like to start work early. People who like to shop at farmer’s markets know to go early. I don’t do early. I arrived a little before 10:30 yesterday. There were still quite a few folks milling around, so I was hopeful that I would find some goodies to carry home.

I heard the music as soon as I got out of the car where I parked it, an acre or so away. Good thing I snapped a picture as soon as I was close enough, because they finished the song they were on and then packed it up. That’s Danny on the right and I think I remember that the guy on the keyboard is Ron. Danny is an outrageous flirt, so of course I remembered his name!

I first heard about Ma’o Organic Fruits and Vegetables when I saw a group of kids wearing their tee shirts a month or so ago. I didn’t know until this weekend that they provide internships for some of our local students from Waianae High School. Good for them!

I love the Pinoy Express man’s sign! Do you suppose it’s to let folks know that he delivers? Maybe not, since I don’t see a phone number anywhere and he’s not in the phone book. I didn’t think to ask, but will make it a point to do that next time.

All he had left by the time I got there was a few lumpia.

All of the produce stands were pretty much depleted, too. There were lots of herbs left, but I grow my own, so I didn’t need any.

Okinawan yams start out white-fleshed, but turn purple when cooked. They’re a little less moist and have less flavor than the orange-fleshed one that I prefer, so I passed on them, too.

Mangoes are abundant right now. I passed at least a half-a-dozen roadside stands selling them as I was driving to the farmer’s market. Some folks will be giving them away soon just to get rid of them.

The orchid booth had breathtakingly beautiful plants on display. I have orchids. I grow them indoors and out. The only time mine have ever had blooms is when I bought them. I don’t need any more green plants, to I resisted the temptation to bring more home with me.

In the end, the only thing I bought was a kalua pork sandwich to take home for my lunch. It’s a wonderful treat I don’t indulge in often: that’s grease, not juice, saturating the meat.

The Farmer’s Market is held at Makaha Resort in beautiful Makaha Valley on the first and third Saturday each month. It’s sponsored by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and is their first farmer’s market set up to accept food stamps. I’d like to arrive early next time so that maybe I can bring home a goody bag full of fresh-from-the-farm yumminess. We’ll see if I can manage to drag myself out early for that special treat!

The photos for this post were taken with my little Kodak. I’m not unhappy with it, but it leaves a bit to be desired. I can’t do an upgrade right now but have been looking at other cameras online so I’ll be ready when the time comes. I really like this Canon Powershot. What do you think?

Technorati Tags: farmer’s market, fresh produce Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii farmer’s market, Hawaii outdoors, Hawaii photos, Waianae, Waianae Farmer’s Market, Waianae High School

July 4, 2008

4th of July on the Waianae Coast

I didn’t make any special plans for the Fourth this year. There’s been a carnival-type festival going on all day at Maili Beach Park. I tried to find a place to park so I could walk around, watch the kids on the rides and visit the food booths. Alas, the nearest spot to leave my car was much too far away. I did park at the other end of the beach, though.

Families get camping permits for long weekends and stake out their territory early - probably Thursday afternoon for most. There might be six or eight tents in a family gathering, with aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins all enjoying the holiday together. It looks crowded in the photo above, but it really isn’t - just the angle of the photo, I guess. Groups are far enough apart to not intrude on each other and there’s plenty of open space left over. The park is probably about a mile long, and the festival area only takes up a stretch of a couple of hundred yards.

Maili Beach Park is the closest beach to my house. I have to pass it to go anywhere, so I stop by frequently. Sometimes there are hardly any people there, but on weekends it gets a lot of local traffic. On holiday weekends, everyone goes.

I was in street clothes when I stopped by. These kids were having so much fun I was tempted to strip down to my skivvies and join them! I don’t remember toys being this cool when I was a kid!

I always ask before I take photos with recognizable faces. This family group welcomed me warmly. There are several veterans in this group. The young man writing in the notebook is currently serving in the Navy. The fellow directly behind the blue bag was in Nam at the same time as my ex.

I was going to grill outside today and wanted a steak, so I stopped at the market while I was out. I did get a steak, but I’m saving it for tomorrow. There was a huli-huli chicken calling my name. I had some for lunch and will have some more for dinner. When a word is repeated in Hawaiian it means many or plural. Huli is turn. This is chicken that has been turned many times - you’d call it rotisserie chicken. Whenever I see huli-huli chicken I think “turn-turn” and start humming … “To everything, turn, turn, turn - there is a season, turn, turn, turn.”

I’ve been hearing a few fireworks intermittently all day. They’re getting more frequent as the sun is just going down. I might drag the ladder out in a little while and set it up so I can go sit on the carport roof. There will be a big, professional fireworks show at Maili Beach Park. My roof provides an almost-front-row seat.

Oh, my! They’ve started early! Here I go!

Technorati Tags: Fourth of July, Hawaii, July 4th, Maili, Maili Beach Park, Waianae Coast

June 30, 2008

Carnival of Aloha!

The Carnival of Aloha went live early this morning and I forgot to tell you! Oh, I’m so bad, but the posts will stay up, so get on over to Evelyn’s place. She’s directing traffic as we race around the islands, sharing stories about our beautiful paradise. Don’t you need a little tropical escape to help you ease into the week? Evelyn has hooked us up with eight great posts about life in Hawaii. All you have to do is kick your shoes off, imagine the warm sand between your toes, relax … and read. Aloha!

Technorati Tags: blog carnivals, Carnival of Aloha, Hawaii, Hawaii blogs, life in Hawaii

June 5, 2008

A visit to Waimanalo

I had an inspection in Waimanalo this morning. It’s on the far end of the island from me and I haven’t been there in a while. Listen to Country Comfort singing Waimanalo Blues in the video above while I tell you about it. You’ll hear a long instrumental interlude before the vocals start. Listen to the whole thing. Trust me.

Waimanalo is on the Windward side, as far as you can get from me without falling off the island. In geography it’s as different as anything on Oahu can get from my dry Leeward Coast. It’s cooler, damper, greener. The beaches are amazing. There are more trees growing close to the water than on my side, so there’s plenty of shade to sit in while you stop in for your lunch break.

Like the Waianae Coast, Waimanalo is far from the urban bustle, so there weren’t many people on the two beaches where I spent some time today. There were orange flags up and down the shore to warn of a rough surf, but that didn’t keep this group of kids from skipping school and enjoying some board time.

Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area has an obscure entrance attained by going through a residential neighborhood, much like my favorite Secret Cove, but at least this one is on the map. You can find it without much effort.

Waimanalo also has a high crime problem in common with Waianae. A home along the entrance path to the rec area carries a warning for the uninformed. Lock you car and take your camera with you, but I was perfectly comfortable mingling with Waimanalo folks today and certainly didn’t feel threatened.

This Hobie Cat is on the beach right behind the house with the warning posted on the fence. The homeowner must feel comfortable leaving it there, despite the dire message, don’t you think?

Waianae and Waimanalo are both considerd “country” by folks who don’t live on the ends of the island. Yeah, they pretty much are. I passed riding stables, dog kennels and orchid farms all along Kalanianaole Highway as I meandered around. Bellows Airfield (USAF) is there and takes up a lot of space, but it’s a mostly rural setting. There are also some charming businesses. I saw the handsome fellows above as I drove past and just had to turn around and go back. How could I not?

The horses drew me in, the art nearly made me late for appointment to meet a realtor for a termite inspection. Oops! Time well spent, though. This is Patrick Ching’s Naturally Hawaiian Gallery. Patrick is an amazing artist, a former forest ranger and a paniolo - a Hawaiian cowboy. A visit to his website is almost as fascinating as seeing his work in person. Spend an hour or two or ten over there. Some more great Hawaiian music will sooth your soul while you enjoy his art, his philosophy and a lot of Hawaiiana. Make sure you check out the Naturally Hawaiian Rodeo page. Patrick is wearing #587 in the Cowboy Poker photo poster. I’ve been assured that no bulls or poker-playing paniolo were killed in the mishap!

Sam Cruz is in training for his first 8-second ride on a bull himself. He took good care of me while I was at the gallery, enthusiastically supplying history of the shop and some biographical info on Patrick. If you’re reading this Patrick, keep the horses, the Falcon and Sam. They’re all doing a great job of selling your business.

I’m not sure why it’s been so long since I’ve been to Waimanalo. My bad! I’ll be making another trip out there soon, with no work agenda pressing me to hurry along. I definitely want to add a couple of Patrick’s prints to my small collection of Hawaiian art (sorry Patrick - I can’t afford the big stuff!) I want to spend some time browsing the orchids and other tropicals and checking out some more local businesses, too. Waimanalo probably won’t be on the itenerary that your travel agent helps you prepare if you ever make it to Oahu. That’s okay - you’ve got me to tell you about the places you really should visit. Get out in the country and see the real Hawaii!

Technorati Tags: art, beaches, Hawaii, Patrick Chinng’s Naturally Hawaiian Gallery, photos, Waimanalo

June 1, 2008

Maile Pink Market

The Maile Pink Market is an instituion on the Waianae Coast. Ask most anyone how long it’s been there and they’ll say “fo’evah.” Ask someone for directions to any place between Nanakuli and the Waianae Mall and they’ll probably use the Pink Market in their directions. You can’t miss it if you’re driving along Farrington Highway, the highway that you have to use to get to anywhere or from anywhere out here. It’s very, very pink.

Being right across the highway from Maile Beach Park, the Pink Market carries all the stuff you might have forgotten or run out of when you’ve having a luau or grad party. They’re a small store, maybe a little smaller than the average convenince store, but they manage to pack a lot of variety into the space they have available. I don’t think I can buy extra computer memory at the Pink Market, but they’ve got almost everything else you might need in an emergency, or when you don’t want to drive forever just to get some baby powder or roasting pan for your turkey.

Forgot to get a gift for the birhtday party? Maile Pink Market’s got you covered! I usually go there when it’s nine o’clock in the evening and I’ve just realized there is no chocolate in house. Or ice. Or ciggies.

Susan takes care of cutomers with a radiant personality and, for today, a shirt that matches the store. Her hubby is around somewhere. He’s always there lending a hand when it’s her shift. She tells me that Maile Pink Market has been around for “about twenty years,” and that the man and woman I always see when she’s not there are her brother and his wife. I think they own the store, or maybe the whole family does. Whoever you meet when you go there, the folks at Maile Pink Market are always friendly, always welcoming, always helpful. It’s that kind of place.

Technorati Tags: convenience store, Hawaii, Maile Pink Market, photos, Waianae Coast

May 29, 2008

Helping displaced farm workers

Hawaii’s agricultural sector has fallen on hard times over the last few decades. Big growers have pulled out, one by one, and taken their business elsewhere. Sugar cane was once a major Hawaii crop. I don’t think it’s being grown anywhere in the islands now. Each closure brings heartache. Ag workers make a decent living, but most will never accumulate enough money to own a home or even to rent in our ridiculously high-priced housing market. Some of them live in plantation villages, owned by the growers. Many families have lived in the same plantation housing for several generations. When the job goes, so does the home. That’s how it usually works. Someone owns the land, maybe someone else buys it when the company moves on. That someone has a bottom line to be satisfied, a profit to be made. I’m not knocking that. I understand how business works. Sometimes, though, businesses recognize that they hold something precious in their hands and they do their best to protect it. The James Campbell Company is HUGE business in Hawaii. One of their assets is a plantation village in Kunia, not too far from me. The folks who live there either retired from Del Monte after long-term employment, or they were still working for the company when Fresh Del Monte Produce closed down in 2006. They were allowed to stay on while disposition of the land was decided. Now their fate has been determined, and the decision is a good one. Campbell has agreed to sell Kunia Plantation Village to nonprofit Hawaii Agriculture Research Center for $1. Yep, you read that right - one dollar. The village will be preserved as part of Hawaii’s historic agricultural heritage and most of the residents who live there will be able to stay in their homes. They pay rent, but at rates applied under an affordable housing agreement. Many of them would most likely have ended up homeless but for this arrangement.

I’m sick of seeing the homeless families on the beach every time I drive along the coast. I don’t mean that the folks who live on the beach make me sick. I mean that their situation makes me heartsick. Our homelsss population continues to grow and the programs that are supposed to be helping them are inadequate and slow, most of them hopelessly tangled up in red tape. All of us working together - government, charities, citizens and businesses - can solve these problems if we put our hearts, our minds and our money to the task. Mahalo, James Campbell Company, for doing your part. You could have sold that land for millions. You could have done that and turned a hundred or so families into the next wave of homeless. Oh, I’m sure it was a sound business decision on your behalf, but it’s probably not the most profitable thing you could have done. You made the right choice. Mahalo nui loa.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, housing, James Campbell Company, Kunia Plantation Village

May 27, 2008

Memorial Day 2008

Hawaii knows how to do Memorial Day. I bought my poppy from a US Veteran outside the grocery store on Sunday. While I was doing that, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from all over Oahu were gathering in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl. They were perpetuating a long tradition by placing American flags and lei on each of the 33,000 service member graves. The photo at left is a screen capture from video on KHNL 8. Take a moment to watch the whole story. A small boy saluting a grave after placing the lei moved me to tears.

Another moving ceremony took place at Ala Moana Beach Park at sunset. More than 1600 memorial lanterns were released into the ocean, each carrying a prayer or sentiment dedicated to the memory of one individual. Springing from Buddhist roots, the event now draws people of all faiths. Lantern Floating Hawaii has co-ordinated this lovely tradition for the last ten years. The photo is theirs. The photo gallery on their website will take your breath away.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

I spent part of Memorial Day at Pokai Bay Beach Park here on the Waianae Coast. Pokai Bay holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I first learned not to fear the ocean, where I first donned a snorkel and began to discover the wonders of the underwater world. The park is a very “local” gathering place. Almost everyone who goes there lives on the Waianae Coast. There is always someone there, no matter what time of the day or night you visit. A few homeless still live there, but most of the folks enjoying the beach or the relaxing with friends are there just taking a break. It can be a scary place when the sun goes down, with drug dealers and gamblers not wanting an audience. It’s pretty wholesome while the sun shines, though. Canoe clubs practice their paddling at Pokai Bay, families picnic and parents teach their keiki to swim and respect the ocean. The breakwater, badly damaged in Hurricane Iniki in 1992, is still a favorite opihi-picking spot and jumping-off point for bold little boys. Their big brothers stroll around strumming on ukeleles while little sisters learn all about rock climbing. Dads shout instructions to keiki washing away the salt - “Stick you head in dere. Get dat sand out da ears!” The lifeguard keeps her eyes on on the water while Tui takes a break from Park Service duties. On this crowded day the fisherfolks moved outside the breakwater to avoid the masses, as did a few teens escaping parental scrutiny. I made a few new friends as was invited to “make plate” by strangers who liked the idea that their photos might appear on skeet’s stuff. It was a fine day to be on the Waianae Coast.

Technorati Tags: beach, families, Hawaii, Memorial Day, Pokai Bay